1. Home
2. Our People

Thomas L. Lankford

Vice President

Tom Lankford brings 24 years of defense and foreign policy experience to Van Scoyoc Associates’ representation of select clients.  Mr. Lankford joined the firm in 1997, following more than nine years service in the U.S. Senate, including seven years with Sen. Bob Smith.  Most recently, he served as Acting Legislative Director and Senior Policy Advisor to Sen. Smith, where he managed daily legislative operations, including floor and committee activity, and coordinated the formulation and implementation of the Senator’s legislative agenda. 

Mr. Lankford is best known for his work as Sen. Smith’s Personal Representative to the Armed Services Committee, where he served as principal national security advisor and liaison to Committee staff, the Defense Department, the State Department, National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, aerospace industry, and international diplomatic representatives.  He was Sen. Smith’s lead staff representative through seven complete defense authorization and appropriations cycles.  He also served as Legislative Assistant for Defense to Sen. Gordon Humphrey    

At VSA, Mr. Lankford manages a diverse client portfolio that has included Fortune 50 companies, small and disadvantaged businesses, foreign governments, charitable organizations, educational institutions, joint ventures, and start-ups, with interests in areas such as defense procurement, research and development, world health, alternative energy, information technology, and traumatic brain injury.  Mr. Lankford provides comprehensive, as well as issue specific, representation that includes: requirements assessment; opportunity identification; capture strategy development; legislative, programmatic, and budgetary analysis; partnership development; advocacy, and liaison with Executive and Legislative Branch entities.

A native of Penfield, N.Y., Mr. Lankford earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the State University of New York at Geneseo, and a Master of Arts in International Transactions from George Mason University.  He is married with two children and lives in Fairfax Station, Va.